E3 2019: Doom Eternal — What We Know And What We Want

Bethesda has been relatively tight-lipped about its upcoming E3 2019 press conference. However, the one game we do know is at the show is none other than Id Software’s Doom Eternal. This sequel to the critically acclaimed Doom reboot is firmly placed upon lists of many’s much-anticipated games.

At E3 2019, there’s bound to be a ton of new details about the game and footage displaying all manner of over-the-top demon-slaying. But until then, here’s what we know about Doom Eternal right now, and what we’re hoping to see.

What We Know So Far

The last we saw of Doom Eternal was some new gameplay at a GDC panel following Google’s Stadia reveal this past April. Before that, we learned a substantial amount about the game at QuakeCon 2018.

Doom Eternal continues directly after the events of the first game. The forces of Hell have invaded Earth, and the Doom Slayer must stop them by any means necessary. While you’ll be spending most of your time on Earth, it appears the game will briefly take place in space on Phobos, the innermost moon of Mars.

As the Doom Slayer this time around, you’re equipped with quite a few new mobility options, which includes a dodge maneuver and the ability to swing on poles in the environment. The new suit is decked out with built-in weapons, like a retractable arm-blade and a shoulder mounted launcher. You also have access to what the game calls a Meat Hook, a glorified grappling hook that can latch onto enemies and clear gaps. Power-ups are returning, and it looks like they can enhance your characteristics in a variety of ways–either temporarily or permanently.

New weapons will appear, but we’ve not seen them much yet. So far, the only guns that have been shown have been from the previous Doom, such as the Combat Shotgun, Super Shotgun, Heavy Cannon, Rocket Launcher, and more. A few of the older guns are returning albeit with some subtle changes. The Plasma Rifle is back and it can now shoot orbs that electrify enemies. On the other hand, some old weapons have been revamped, like the Ballista, which is a new version of the Gauss Cannon that can fire electric bolts.

Classic demons from the franchise’s past are getting reintroduced to the reboot continuity. So far we’ve seen Arch-Viles, Arachnotrons, Imps, Cacodemons, Barons of Hell, and Pain Elementals. To make encounters with these treacherous monstrosities more flashy and exciting, Id Software is implementing new tech to make demon bodies progressively deteriorate in combat as they suffer damage.

Lastly, a surprise addition to Doom Eternal is a new mode called Invasion where other players can jump into your campaign as demons and hunt you down. Though, if you’d play alone, you can turn off the feature.

What’s Confirmed At E3

Bethesda has confirmed that Doom Eternal will make an appearance at its E3 2019 press conference. Though, the specifics as to what it will show remains unclear. We’ll have to wait and see what sort of heavy-metal-tined demon shooting the company has in store for us this coming June.

What We Hope To See At E3

A lot of the Doom Eternal gameplay has shown off combat either in the fleshy landscapes of Hell on Earth or Phobos. Honestly, we’d love to see what the other locations on Earth look like, like the intriguing demonic temples or sterile underground chambers that point to an even more extensive Doom universe lore this time around.

We’d also love to see gameplay demonstrating how much the new maneuverability options impact combat. We’re curious about the new enemy types they’re introducing that take advantage of your expanded toolset, as well as the obstacles presented that will break up the flow of battle. In addition, we’d like to see how maneuverability impacts the PvP antics of the Invasion mode.

As a bonus, it would be cool to see how Doom Eternal runs on Switch. Seeing how great the original Doom ran on the hybrid handheld console, we’re excited to see how this latest iteration of the series’ fast-paced shooting fairs under the humble power of the Nintendo’s hardware.

While more gameplay is always a plus, we’re mostly hoping that Bethesda caps off its Doom Eternal showcase by finally announcing a release date. For a while, Doom Eternal has been loosely confirmed to launch sometime in 2019, so knowing when we’ll get to play it exactly would be fantastic.